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THANK God we are back to debating about a true boxing fight not some business transaction masquerading as one.
OK I know some readers were peeved by my write-up about the MayMac and before I raise their ire again let me hasten to say that today the debate is what defines boxing.
The debate about who will emerge victorious between Gennady “GGG” Golovkin and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez for the world middleweight supremacy is what makes boxing such an infectious sport.
Before the pick, let me add that it is by no way meant as disdain towards either boxer as I am sure Andile Sidinile feels the same way.
And the pick does not represent our wishes on what should transpire in the ring but like they say boxing is sport of opinions.
This is why a predictor can be happy even if the outcome turns differently. Yes believe it or not in boxing one can be happy for making a wrong pick.
But, sadly, some boxing souls still interpret a prediction as a way of underscoring hate feelings. Now back to the fight itself. This bout has long been clamoured about way way back.
Back then Canelo was seen as easy meat for GGG and the fact that his promoter Oscar de la Hoya of Golden Boy Promotions (GBP) was reluctant to pit him against GGG reinforced the feeling that he knew what an outcome would be.
This was further exacerbated by Canelo’s decision to dump the WBC crown he had won from Miguel Cotto into the dustbin when the WBC forced him to make a mandatory defence against GGG who then held the interim version of the title.
The WBC’s decision to enforce the mandatory was based on the agreement Cotto and Canelo had that a winner between them would face THE fight the world has wanted to see finally takes place in the US this weekend when middleweight rivals Gennady “GGG” Golovkin and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez bring their special dose of mayhem to Las Vegas.
The action will be broadcast live to SuperSport’s Premium subscribers at no additional cost, unlike in the UK (R298) and the US (R1 000) where a surcharge must be paid.
SuperSport 2 will cross live to the T-Mobile Arena at 2am (SA time) on Sunday for the undercard action.
The championship fight has percolated for two years, but finally the pair will bring their special skills to the ring, with the globe-trotting Kazakh boxing in the world’s biggest fight city for the first time.
Alvarez has become a staple in Las Vegas and will doubtless be boosted by the fight taking place on Mexican Independence Day weekend.
Golovkin, who ironically embraces Mexican style boxing, is a ferocious competitor, likened in style and temperament to a middleweight Mike Tyson. With 23 stoppages in his past 24 bouts, he is a savage competitor who is prepared to absorb punches to dish out his own power shots.
In Alvarez, he’ll be facing the biggest test of his career. The Mexican is younger, faster and has bulked up to match Golovkin’s natural middleweight build. He’s a tactical counter-puncher who works hard – GGG won’t have to go looking for him.
Between them, the pair have fought 88 times with just a single defeat, Alvarez having lost a majority decision to Floyd Mayweather four years ago.